Smotrich slams Gantz over call to cancel Flag March
Ynet |
Published: 06.06.21 , 08:00
Religious Zionist party leader MK Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday slammed Defense Minister Benny Gantz after the latter called for a suspension of an Israeli nationalist parade in Jerusalem, dubbed the Flag March, amid concerns it may stoke tensions with Palestinians in the capital. We didn t wait 2,000 years for a Jewish, independent and sovereign state just to have a cowardly defense minister who has publicly capitulated to Hamas terrorist threats (and in fact invites more threats and more terrorism), and seeks to prevent Jews from marching with Israeli flags in the Holy City of Jerusalem and the unified capital, Smotrich wrote on Twitter.
Several former senior police commanders call for Thursday's planned march to be prohibited, with an ex-top cop in the city calling it 'an attempt to ignite East Jerusalem'
Israelis wave national flags during a Jerusalem Day march, in Jerusalem, May 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Saturday said he will demand a right-wing nationalist parade through Jerusalem’s Old City be called off if it “requires extraordinary security measures and endangers public order and diplomatic processes.”
The controversial march is set to take place in Jerusalem’s Old City on June 10, after police canceled the annual Jerusalem Day march mid-event May 10 when Hamas fired a barrage of rockets toward the city.
Gantz released the statement following a meeting with the military and police chiefs, the attorney general, and other top security officials. The defense minister said he stressed to all officials present the need for responsible, sensitive behavior. Notably absent from the meeting was Public Security Minister Amir Ohana of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, whose office oversees police.
Security officials warn nationalist march could reignite fighting with Palestinian terror groups; far-right MKs slam defense minister for 'cowardice' against Hamas; U.S. urges to refrain from any events that could jeopardize mediation efforts following latest Gaza conflict